IS COLLAGEN POWDER REALLY GOOD FOR AGING SKIN?
About a year or so ago, I did a little research on collagen. I had heard how it is great for women over 50 and for aging skin. So I wanted to know a few things: what is collagen powder and what are the health benefits of collagen powder?
After my research, I then started using collagen powder and the results have been nothing short of amazing. In this article, we’re going to discuss quite a few things-
- the health benefits of collagen powder
- can collagen reverse aging
- is it safe to take collagen every day
And so much more! I’m also going to share my favourite collagen smoothie recipe. This is the BEST smoothie for skin, optimal health and more!
Grab your favourite beverage and let’s go!
What is Collagen Powder?
The most important thing right now is to determine what collagen powder is. Here’s a great snippet from Healthline that describes it in a nutshell
First, let’s dissect the word collagen, a buzzword that’s been creeping into our beauty products, supplements, and Facebook ads. Collagen is an incredibly important protein that keeps your tissues and bones together. Specifically for your skin, collagen helps give your skin structure and elasticity, or that famous “bounce.”
Source: Healthline
So we can see that collagen is a protein and we all know how crucial protein is to our health. Protein helps your muscles, skin, hair, nails, bone tissues and so much more! Now while we can most certainly get protein from our food, there is a big difference between collagen powder and protein powder.
Collagen is the most important protein in our body that our bodies create naturally on its own. However, as we age, our bodies produce less collagen. This you can see in elderly people who have thinner dryer skin with little elasticity.
Because of this, it’s important to supplement your body with collagen. So let’s discuss the actual health benefits of collagen powder before you dive too deep into this.
Also as we age, our bodies require a little bit of special attention. We may require extra, or different supplements and vitamins, more rest, and some tlc.
What Are Collagen Peptides?
I’m sure you’ve heard this tossed around a lot as well too. Collagen peptides. I know, this can kinda get confusing so I’m going to explain as simply as I possibly can.
So what are collagen peptides and what’s the difference between collagen powder and collagen peptides?
I found this helpful information from webmd.com
Collagen peptides are very small pieces of protein from animal collagen. Collagen is one of the materials that makes up cartilage, bone, and skin. Collagen peptides are made by breaking down whole collagen proteins into smaller pieces. When taken by mouth, collagen peptides seem to build up in the skin and cartilage.
And then this snippet below answered the burning question ‘what’s the difference between collagen powder and collagen peptides”?
Is collagen powder the same as collagen peptides? You’ve probably encountered the terms “collagen peptides,” “hydrolyzed collagen,” “collagen hydrolysate” and “collagen powder.” These terms are different names for the same thing: collagen protein powder. Specifically, the term “collagen peptides” refers to collagen that has undergone a process called hydrolysis.
Source: bulletproof.com
I hope that clears up any confusion for you. For the sake of this article, and to keep things simple, we are only talking about collagen powder.
The Health Benefits of Collagen Powder
So why should we even be thinking about consuming collagen powder? Here are just a few health benefits of collagen powder that will make you rush to the store to buy some!!
- major component of all your connective tissues (joints, ligaments, etc)
- improves skin elasticity (keeping it youthful and strong)
- strengthens bones, teeth, etc
- excellent for hair and nails
- reduces osteoarthritis pain (I’ve noticed this in my right elbow)
So we can see, it’s got some pretty decent benefits that we should be making note of, especially as we age and our bodies start getting weaker and more frail. We can slow that down!!
I’ll be honest, I wanted to start taking collagen powder to stop these darn wrinkles, get more elasticity in my skin and really just slow down the aging process. Too late? Keep reading to find out!
I also started taking it because my hair was getting thinner and I wanted my lush glorious curly locks back. I put collagen to the test for that and the results? Well let’s talk about that now.
Is Collagen Good For Hair?
Can it be true that you can use collagen powder for hair growth and thickness? You better believe it. My hair was starting to thin quite noticeably. Now as a former hairstylist, I’m all about hair, especially my hair. haha! I love my hair and watching it become thinner was making me sad.
To be honest, this was one of the main reasons why I started using collagen powder daily.
And it freakin’ worked. I should have charted it but it’s safe for me to say that within 6 months, though it really could have been 2 or 3 months, my hair was fuller, thicker, and growing fast.
Oh happy day for Iva!!
Is collagen powder good for hair? The answer is a resounding yes!
I was living in Mexico at the time and was able to order it through Amazon. Now that I’m back in Guatemala, with no Amazon, I buy a fairly decent hydrolyzed collagen powder here at my favourite little tienda.
Now I get that not many people want to take supplements and would instead get their collagen from natural sources. This brings us to our next part. What foods have collagen in them?
Foods That Have Collagen
I’ll admit, I do my best to find the best most natural ways to get minerals and crucial nutrients into my body but if I can’t do that, I’m ok with supplements. I actually take very few supplements because healthy and fresh foods are in abundance here in Guatemala.
Now with that said, sometimes I don’t eat enough of these foods that do contain collagen so I’m ok with using collagen powder.
Here’s a list of the best foods for collagen:
- bone broth (you can find great recipes on Pinterest for that)
- fish (I use fish oil capsules because it’s hard to find good fish here)
- chicken
- berries
- egg whites
- garlic
These are just a few great foods you can find collagen in but if you don’t eat much of any of those, the powder is totally safe and best to use.
This brings us to our next question…
Is It Safe To Take Collagen Daily?
Let’s remember that collagen is produced naturally in our bodies but as we get older, we produce less. With that in mind, is it safe to take collagen every day?
Yes. It certainly is.
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Like anything though, you should definitely check with your doctor to see if it’s right for you, depending on your health and if you are on other medication that may conflict with it. I have no resources to discuss this in-depth but verywellhealth.com had this to say about it. Check out the link below to read the full article.
In addition, always discuss any supplements you plan to take with your healthcare provider first.
Certain people should avoid collagen supplements unless they are used under the careful guidance of a qualified healthcare provider. These groups include:
- Those with medical conditions
- Those who are taking medications
- Children
- Pregnant people
- Breastfeeding people
Source: verywellhealth.com
Let’s talk about collagen powder and if it reverses aging.
Can Collagen Reverse Aging?
I think this is the burning question for many women (and men) over 50-can collagen reverse aging??
We already know our bodies produce less of it and we need to add it back in. Many of us already are starting to get thin skin, lose elasticity and show more wrinkles. So, if we start taking collagen powder now will it give us our youth back?
Yes and no. There really isn’t any amazing before and after pics like “Omg look at Margaret now and before she started taking collagen powder”. So, no it’s not a magic product.
However with that said, it can certainly slow down aging! I’ve noticed a tremendous difference in my skin. I’ll be 60 this year and yes I have wrinkles but my skin feels and looks amazing. It’s soft and glowing (though I am eating super healthy these days) and I’m not so worried about aging skin so much these days.
Another thing to remember is that we are what we eat. So if you are eating unhealthy and crappy food, well that’s gonna show up in your skin and body. And I don’t need to tell you that other external forces play a huge role in our skin.
These include:
- smoking (I quit over a year ago-you can learn more about that here!)
- sun
- alcohol
- too much sugar
If you cut all these out you’ll notice a vast difference not only in your skin but your general health too!! We’re not getting any younger, but we can make the best of our lives simply by taking better care of ourselves!
Now let’s look at some of the benefits of collagen powder and your skin.
5 Collagen Benefits for Skin and Hair
I talked earlier about how collagen worked wonders for my hair. It was fuller, thicker, healthier, bouncier and grew faster. Colour me happy! But what about collagen benefits for skin?
Here are 5 ways collagen powder helps your skin
- improved elasticity
- slows down formation of wrinkles
- increase blood flow
- prevents sagging
- gives a plump youthful look
I’ve been taking collagen powder now daily in my smoothie (collage smoothie recipe below!) and I’ve noticed a huge difference in my skin. I know that quitting smoking also helped, among other healthy diet habit changes, but all in all, I’m happy with the way my skin looks today!
Another question people have is can you put collagen powder on your face? Well I did some research on that and honestly, the jury is still out on that one. I read too many conflicting articles so I decided to not even talk about it.
However, with that said, if you do like to exfoliate every now and then, adding a teaspoon of collagen powder to some coconut oil (or oil of your choice) and gently rubbing that and then rinsing off might be good? I honestly don’t know but if you like exfoliating, why not try it out?
Now let’s get to the really good stuff! My collagen smoothie recipe! I hope you try it and love it as much as I do. Comment down below if you do!
Iva’s Amazing Collagen Smoothie Recipe!
I’ll be honest, after 55 I started noticing signs of aging in my skin and body and it was a couple of years later I decided to take matters into my own hands.
I looked for a good anti aging smoothie, I Googled best smoothies for skin, collagen smoothies, you name it, I searched frantically and this is what I came up with.
My own damn smoothie!! Ha!
So Iva did all the research for you, again, you’re welcome, and here is my collagen smoothie recipe.
You can mix and match fruit but I’ve chosen berries as they are low in sugar and high in antioxidants. We don’t have fresh blueberries here in Guatemala, and while this makes me super sad, we do have blackberries and strawberries in great abundance. so those are the only two berries I use.
Feel free to substitute for whatever berry you like and is readily available to you.
Iva’s amazing collagen smoothie recipe:
1 banana
1/4 cup of frozen strawberries
1/4 cup of frozen blackberries
2 fresh ginger slices
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder ( to make it chocolatey! )
2 scoops of collagen powder (check your powder to see what the amount is you need per serving)
1 tablespoon all natural almond butter
6 oz of water (or liquid of your choice)
Throw all that yumminess in a blender and away you go! Keep in mind there is no sugar in here other than from the fruit and it’s not a lot so if you would like it a little sweeter, add fruit with a higher sugar content or you can just add sweetener.
I hope you like this recipe and if you can think of other super yummy things to throw in there tell us down below!
In Summary
I think it’s safe to say that collagen powder is great for skin, hair and overall health. Will you start using it today? Are you using it now? What differences have you noticed? Share down below!
Aging doesn’t have to be falling apart at the seems and being sad while we grow older as our bodies start shutting down. You most certainly have the power to start doing things, like eating right and exercising, to help you make the most of midlife and beyond.
I hope you enjoyed this article and if you did, please share! Sharing is always caring xoxo
xo iva xo
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